The Morro Bay National Estuary Program works to educate residents, visitors, and students of all ages on how to keep Morro Bay clean and healthy. Public participation, combined with the best science available, is important for effectively preserving Morro Bay. Thousands of tourists and residents visit the Estuary Nature Center every year where they can experience the beauty of the estuary and learn about protecting its sensitive habitats and wildlife. Admission to the Estuary Nature Center is free. The Nature Center is located at 601 Embarcadero in Morro Bay, California, 93442. In addition to providing content through the Estuary Nature Center, Estuary Program staff also regularly host field trips and lectures for students, community groups, and organizations to provide hands-on ways to learn about our bay and watershed. Online educational content can be found at: http://www.mbnep.org/kids/ and https://learn.mbnep.org/

Science and monitoring conducted by the Morro Bay National Estuary Program staff and volunteers helps determine how different human and natural factors affect the health of Morro Bay. Our monitoring effort has two primary goals: to track long-term trends and to determine the effectiveness of specific conservation projects. High quality data is critically important in prioritizing future projects, evaluating the effectiveness of existing projects, and assessing long-term changes in health. The Estuary Program’s monitoring effort includes year-round and seasonal monitoring and provides valuable information to local non-profits; state, federal and local agencies; and private citizens to support our mutual goal to protect and preserve this unique area.

The Estuary Program works to protect important natural areas within and around the estuary and restores areas that have been degraded. The Estuary Program partners with both public and private landowners to implement restoration and conservation projects in the Morro Bay watershed. Project examples include: - Restoring eelgrass, a flowering underwater plant essential to life in the bay - Restoring and replanting floodplains and other areas - Removing barriers to allow fish to move up and down local streams - Controlling invasive plant and animal species in order to benefit native species - Enhancing in-stream habitat through site-specific improvements - Assisting partners and landowners to complete land acquisitions and/or easements between willing parties

As you and your dog visit our beaches, parks, hiking trails, and special seaside spots, we help make it easy to do your duty and pick up after your pet. Doing your part helps keep our waters clean. The Mutts for the Bay program provides free, biodegradable bags for picking up pet waste all over town and educates the public about keeping our bay clean. We maintain more than 27 dispensers throughout the watershed in partnership with the City of Morro Bay, the County of San Luis Obispo, and a group of dedicated community volunteers. It’s part of our commitment to protecting and restoring Morro Bay for people and animals alike. You can learn more about this program at: http://www.mbnep.org/mutts-for-the-bay/